Horological expert Pierre Jacques has been appointed as the new CEO of Swiss watchmaker Manufacture Contemporaine du Temps (MCT),

Jacques has more than 15 years of strategic and operational experience in the watch industry. He co-founded the international watch magazine GMT, directed the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève and subsequently the Geneva flagship store of the retail group Les Ambassadeurs, before serving for five years as CEO of the De Bethune brand.

“Pierre Jacques’ arrival in our company corresponds to a new stage for MCT,” says MCT Chairwoman Kristina-Ripsimé Ambartsumian. “His dynamic approach and his experience will make a valuable contribution to accelerating the development of our young brand.”

“I’ve always admired MCT creations,” says Jacques. “They reflect absolute modernity in terms of design and technical research, while respecting the spirit and the rules of haute horlogerie. I am proud of being able to participate in the expansion of this magnificent firm.”

Jacques will take up his position on February 15. He succeeds François Candolfi, who has shown both talent and enthusiasm in his role at the head of MCT since its takeover by Cage Holding, which he initiated as a consultant in 2012.

The strategic vision and the commitment demonstrated by Candolfi enabled MCT to reposition itself as one of the rare internationally recognised independent firms and to transform the small watchmaking workshop into a robust almost entirely integrated structure. 

Under his leadership, the brand has created three in-house calibres and broadened its product range.

Candolfi also began a process of ongoing improvement of the in-house calibres that will be incorporated into its entire product range as of 2016, as well as successfully overseeing the internationalisation of the group via the creation of the first MCT subsidiary based in Asia.

MCT was founded in 2007 by Denis Giguet and owned by Cage Holding since 2012.  The watch companies in the group employ around 40 people in Switzerland between their workshops on the shores of Lake Neuchâtel and their Geneva offices.

MCT creates its timepieces in close collaboration with its sister companies, the watch research and watchmaking research and development company Digitale in Neuchâtel and the MCH mechanical movement assembly workshop in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

Building on their movements entirely developed and produced in-house, MCT creations combine daring design with an avant-garde technical approach, reflecting a contemporary vision of time display and measurement.